


A Demon's Gamble

by Crazy_Pairing_Person



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Bets & Wagers, Demon Deals, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-23
Updated: 2016-05-18
Packaged: 2018-04-05 17:21:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4188399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazy_Pairing_Person/pseuds/Crazy_Pairing_Person
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ciel grows bored one day, he orders his butler to find something interesting to do. So, Sebastian initiates what is known among his kind as The Gamble. Sebastian and Ciel must attempt to woo each other for two straight weeks. If Ciel falls for Sebastian, Sebastian gets to take Ciel's soul early. If Sebastian falls for Ciel, then Ciel can be released from their contract. And if they both fall for each other, then the contract will be completely void and Sebastian will be allowed to change Ciel into a demon, so they may stay together forever... But Ciel has a bit of a disadvantage. You see, no demon has ever fallen for the gambler in this game.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It just popped in my head and started begging me to write it!!!
> 
> This is also the first story I've ever written where neither party has any romantic emotions for the other immediately at the start. O.O First time for everything I guess!

"Sebastian!" Ciel called, slamming his head on the desk in boredom as he waited for his butler come. It did not take very long, and within no more than five seconds Ciel was looking up into the ruby gems that were his butler's eyes. He huffed in annoyance.

"I'm  _bored._ Is there anything at all to do around here?" he asked, clearly agitated at the lack of activities at his disposal. Sebastian smirked. His master could be so amusing at times.

"You could play chess" he offered.

"Elizabeth lost my white rook and both of my kings" Ciel replied, his annoyance now clearly directed at his fiancee.

"How about a walk in the garden?" Sebastian suggested.

"Has finny attempted to weed anything recently? Because, if so, there won't be much garden to walk in"

"Perhaps you could read a book?"

"I've read everything in my library  _twice_ "

Sebastian sighed, placing a hand on his forehead. Ciel had gone from amusing to aggravating in under a minute, and he felt a headache forming. It was times like this that he wished they could hurry up and finish the damn contract, so he wouldn't have to deal with this anymore...

_Ah._

Sebastian smirked to himself as he got an idea. It would certainly rid his master of his incessant boredom, and it would no doubt end favorably for him as well.

"Have you ever played a demon's game?" he asked, meeting the icy blue eye of his little lord. Ciel raised an eyebrow, studying Sebastian before shaking his head.

"What did you have in mind?" the young one asked, his voice apprehensive and curious at the same time.

"I was thinking we play The Gamble, my lord. It lasts for a span of two weeks... That would satisfy your boredom, wouldn't it?"

Ciel's curiosity was evidently peaked, and no one could blame him. Who'd ever heard of a game lasting for two weeks?

"How do we play?"

"It is fairly simple. We go about our normal business, but we also attempt to woo each other over the two weeks that we play" Sebastian explained, leaving out certain vital information but not really lying.

Still, Ciel's face set in a disgusted scowl.

" _Woo_ each other? Sebastian, is this some sick attempt to get me to have  _feelings_ for you?" he growled, clearly not amused.

Sebastian gave a dark chuckle, his smirk not fading or faltering in the slightest.

"Certainly not, my lord. It's not an uncommon game for contracted demons to play with their contractors, I assure you. It helps pass time... Especially if a contract happens to be dragging a bit" he said, and he certainly wasn't lying. There were many impatient demons who would play this game, simply to get a quicker meal.

Ciel huffed, looking out the window for a moment, contemplating his answer. He finally turned back to face the demon, his expression one that said he refused to lose this game.

"Very well, Sebastian. Let's play"

Sebastian bowed, his hand over his heart.

"Yes, my lord. The two weeks will start first thing in the morning. I suggest you take your time now to prepare your strategy of exactly how you intend to woo me"

His voice was subtly teasing, and Ciel simply scoffed before sending him away. As Sebastian walked out, thought about the rules of the game that he'd purposefully left out.

_If the human falls for the demon by the end of the two weeks, the contract between them will act as if it's been completed, and the demon will be allowed to take their soul early._

_If the demon falls for the human, however, the human will be free of the contract, and is no longer subject to death, nor an eternity in hell._

_If both the human and the demon fall for each other, then the contract will be void on both ends and the demon will be allowed to change the human, allowing them to live together for eternity._

Sebastian turned, glancing at the door, the smirk still on his face.

"Tread carefully, my lord. For no demon has ever fallen for the human"

With that quiet whisper, he went to prepare dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the whole 'changing' and 'turning' things are kind of confusing, but really I needed a way to distinguish them...
> 
> I also wanted to make Sebby and Claude related in some way. Annnd I wanted to have some demon stuff because I like making shit up. :P

"I don't know much about you, do I?"

Sebastian blinked. His master had brought up the oddest subject when he was being served dinner. He smirked slightly. Ciel seemed to be preparing for the game already, and it hadn't even started yet.

"I suppose not. What would you like to know?"

Ciel gave a small shrug.

"Anything I suppose. About you, about demons in general..."

Sebastian chuckled softly. This was a rather odd approach, but Ciel always did have an unusual way of playing games.

"Well then, why don't you think of some questions, and I'll answer all that I can before you go to sleep" he offered. Ciel considered it, then nodded in agreement.

Sebastian watched his lord as he ate, wondering what sorts of questions he'd be asking.

* * *

 

Eventually, it was Ciel's bedtime. Sebastian went to get him from his study, a book tucked under his arm. He knocked twice on the door, and waited for Ciel to call him in before he opened the door.

"Young master, it's time for you to retire" he said calmly. Ciel nodded, looking relieved to be done with the tedious papers for the day. As he walked towards the door, he took notice of the book Sebastian held.

"What's that?" he asked, though he continued to walk as if he wasn't curious. Sebastian smirked and followed his master down the hall to his room.

"Since you've taken an interest in demons, I found a book on some old legends. Most are cautionary tales that actually happened, but some are simply made up folklore. It's written in a satanic language though, so if you're interested, you'll have to have me read it to you"

Ciel huffed, clearly annoyed at the idea of being read a bedtime story like a child, even if said story was of a demonic nature. Still, he nodded his consent.

"It sounds interesting, I suppose" he said coolly. They stepped into his room, and Sebastian placed the book on the bedside table.

"Let's get you dressed for bed, then" he said, flashing a smile with no real happiness behind it. Ciel rolled his eyes in response but allowed his butler to dress him in his nightshirt. It didn't take long, and when he was done, he sat on his bed.

"Did you want to answer my questions or read me that book first?"

"How about I answer a few of your questions, my lord. It is what I planned on doing before I found the book, after all" Sebastian replied.

Ciel examined the demon carefully, trying to decide which question he wanted to ask first.

"Is it true that demons can't feel anything other than hatred, hunger, and lust? Because if so, then I'd suggest we call off that game, since it would be rather pointless"

Sebastian tilted his head in thought.

"It's not that we can't feel the more human emotions, such as love, regret, or sorrow... But we have learned that if we experience such things, they usually don't end well. So we've learned to push our feelings away. It got to the point that other creatures, humans included, believed that we're incapable of such feelings. We never saw any need to correct them, so we didn't"

Ciel hummed in thought.

"So if you can love... What would happen if a demon fell in love with a human? Surely they could not be together, since one is immortal and one would die in less than a century"

"I have not known many demons who have truly loved another. And only one fell for a mortal. And they certainly  _could_ have been happy with each other, but..."

Sebastian trailed off, a slight frown on his face. Ciel watched him carefully before speaking,

"If it makes you uncomfortable, you can just start reading the book"

Sebastian shook his head.

"No, it's fine. Anyway, he was my brother. You know him as the Trancy butler, Claude"

Ciel snorted at this information.

"Claude is your brother?"

"Well, sort of. Demons don't usually have biological children or siblings. Claude and I were simply turned and raised by the same demon, though we are not related by blood"

"Turned?" Ciel repeated. Sebastian sighed in irritation.

"Yes. I was turned. Most demons are not born this way. I don't know who or what I was though, so please don't ask"

Ciel nodded and motioned for Sebastian to continue his story.

"Well, Claude had a contract with a boy. He was a bit older than Alois, though he did have those same blue eyes. His hair was longer and darker though. I don't quite remember his name. Claude ended up falling for him, regardless. The boy actually returned those feelings, and Claude offered him a way that they could stay together forever"

Ciel watched Sebastian, admittedly curious about all this.

"There is something called 'changing'. It's different from 'turning', because it doesn't turn a mortal into a full demon, but it does give them immortality, strength, and speed. The one thing is that the changed demons do not  _need_ to feast on souls, whereas turned demons or born demons do. Changed demons can still eat human food, but they can also choose to eat souls if they choose to do so. The boy that Claude loved didn't seem to understand the differences between changing and turning, however. He was rather angry that Claude wanted to 'Make him into an unfeeling hell beast', as he so delicately put it, and immediately broke the contract"

Ciel frowned.

"One would think that, if he had truly loved Claude, he wouldn't care about changing into an 'unfeeling hell beast'" Ciel muttered. Sebastian chuckled.

"Yes, but not all humans can have your common sense, young master"

Ciel simply rolled his eyes at that. He couldn't tell if Sebastian was mocking him or not, so he let it go and motioned to the book.

"I think I've learned enough for now. Why don't pick one of those 'cautionary tales' to read before I go to sleep"

Sebastian smirked and reached for the book. He flipped through it before he found one that would amuse his master. It always amused him, after all.

"Here's one. It's about a demon who was shockingly stupid enough to attempt to seduce a priest"

He heard Ciel give a light chuckle, making the demon pause. Ciel didn't often giggle or chuckle, not genuinely at least.

He felt rather... Pleased that he was able to accomplish such a feat.

Shaking the thought off, he began to read aloud. He read until the end of the tale, at which point Ciel dismissed him and crawled under the blankets for his rest. He left the room then, and did his nightly chores until morning came.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place four days into the game. ;P Sorry, I couldn't go into detail every single day. It'd get way too long.

Sebastian sighed, rolling the cart up to his young master's office as his mind worked over what had happened that morning. It shouldn't have bothered him so much - It was all part of this game, after all, and he shouldn't be dwelling on it as he was...

_"Young master, are you sleeping well?" he'd asked as he dressed the boy, buttoning up the pristine white shirt._

_"What do you mean?" Ciel had asked, almost snapped._

_"You fell asleep in the middle of the story last night. I thought that perhaps you should start retiring earlier" he replied. He was completely caught off-guard by the response._

_"Your voice is too damn soothing. It makes me tired"_

_Ciel was looking away, now, and Sebastian swore he saw a bit of pink color on his cheeks, but he quickly dismissed it as a trick of the light. A simple move for their game, that was all it was. He smiled and came back with a witty comment about how he should have been reading him demonic fairy tales before, but even as he tried to ignore it, he saw damn pink color on the young master's face, and it looked like it had even grown darker._

"Young master, I've brought you a snack" he said as he was granted entrance. He didn't notice the odd stare Ciel gave him as he started to place the large slice of chocolate cake on the desk. He stepped back and watched diligently, waiting for the boy to devour the snack.

"I... I didn't ask for this"

Sebastian blinked, his face settling into a confused frown.

"You didn't?"

"No. I didn't. Why did you bring it to me?" Ciel asked, his voice holding a suspicious edge to it.

"My apologies, my lord. You always ask for a snack at this time, so I suppose it was a force of habit. I can take it away if you'd like, young master"

Ciel pressed his mouth into a thin line, narrowing his eyes at the cake as if it had commited some horrible crime.

"Make it again" he said finally. Sebastian blinked, barely processing the request.

"Do you wish for something other than cake, young master?" he asked politely.

"No. It's just that I suspect you have been putting...  _Things_ into my food. I want you to make the cake again while I supervise" _  
_

The silence was awkward, as Sebastian gave his master an incredulous stare.

"What things do you think I have been putting into your food?" he asked, just barely keeping his amusement out of his voice.

"I don't  _know._ But I know you're doing it so that you'll win the game. It makes me lightheaded and my stomach always feels like it's in knots - But it's only around  _you_ , so I know that you're the one doing it"

Ciel had turned to give Sebastian a full-on glare, while his cheeks had, once again, turned a lovely pink color.

Sebastian considered this situation carefully. He certainly hadn't done anything to Ciel's food, but did the boy really believe that he had, or was it some odd scheme for the game? He quickly dismissed the idea of it being any sort of scheme or tactic, because all Sebastian would have to do is say that he hadn't done it, and the whole thing would fall apart. He  _knew_ Ciel was smarter than that, so...

Sebastian smirked inwardly.

"Forgive me for saying, young master, but wouldn't it be more efficient to simply order me not to put anything into your food?" he asked innocently, playing along.

Ciel rolled his eyes.

"Fine then. Sebastian, I order you not to put any sort of drug or anything else that isn't a necessary ingredient into any of my food. Now go make me another cake" he snapped, shoving the plate away from him.

"Yes, my lord" Sebastian said, resisting the urge to laugh. He took the cake away, smiling to himself as he thought.

_I suppose it has something to do with the game. He has been trying to find a way to woo me, so he has been watching me closely, trying to figure out how to accomplish it. His own strategy of examining me has now backfired, and he has found himself falling for me... And now he's blaming it on drugs in the food._

Sebastian chuckled to himself. It would seem his own strategy of...

He blinked upon realizing that he hadn't actually implemented any sort of strategy or behavior into his routine.

_I'm desirable enough as it is. That little scene back there proves it._

Try as he might to justify it, even he would admit that having no strategy for The Gamble was an odd thing for any demon who played this game. Though, he did remember rumors of one demon doing that, though there was never any confirmation on the outcome...

Sebastian shrugged it off. He could put off thinking about games for a few minutes - He had a cake to remake.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter that will have Ciel's thoughts, yay!

"I shouldn't have to deal with this."

Ciel scowled as he sat in the carriage. It was the tenth day of the game, and he had exactly three problems at the moment.

One, the kidnappings. They weren't too big a bother yet, but the Queen had called on him, hoping to deal with the problem before it became too large.

Two, Alois Trancy. He'd invited Ciel and his faithful butler over. They were expected to be there in a few mere minutes, and after the obligatory pleasantries had been exchanged, he intended to go speak to the Undertaker about the kidnappings. Since one of the first to be captured was just found in a bloody mess, they figured it wasn't too big of a stretch to speak with him.

And three, he was losing this damn game.

_'He's a demon'_ he'd constantly remind himself. But then he'd also remind himself of the conversation from the first night before the game. Demons can love, and Claude Faustus himself had even loved once. ( _He made a mental note to mention that to Alois. Get that creepy demonic bastard back for being, well, creepy_ )

Not to mention he still felt weird around Sebastian, even though he'd gone and supervised the food preparations on numerous occasions and Sebastian hadn't put any sort of drugs in the food.

"I must have looked like a complete fool," he muttered to himself, remembering when he accused Sebastian of drugging him.

"We're here, young master," Sebastian said as he opened the door. Ciel blinked, not having noticed that they'd stopped. He simply got out of the carriage, pointedly ignoring his butler's presence for the moment.

* * *

"Ciel, it's so nice to have you!" Alois greeted Ciel, beaming brightly. Ciel simply gave a nod in acknowledgement, wanting to just get through this visit.

"Your Highness, I shall go prepare some snacks for you and lord Phantomhive," Claude said.

"I will accompany you, Claude," Sebastian said, giving a narrowed glance to the Trancy butler. Ciel found it amusing, somehow, seeing how little Sebastian trusted Claude. He followed Alois to his game room, just wanting to get the visit over and done with.

"So, Ciel, how have you been?" Alois asked as soon as they had sat down.

"I've been fine. How about you?" Ciel replied, mostly for propriety and not out of genuine interest.

"Fine as well."

The silence that followed was awkward and unexpected. He'd thought that Alois would have had a plethora of conversation starters. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not sure what to do now.

"Claude said something about sensing a game of some sort between you and your butler. Something called 'The Gamble' I believe?"

"He  _sensed_ it?" Ciel asked, not sure how to feel about that.

"I'm not sure what he said about it. Something like, 'A human playing The Gamble will put out a sense to other demons, not quite like a contract, but enough for them to know not to attempt to take the human's soul for the time being'. You might want to ask Sebastian if you didn't know about that."

Ciel cleared his throat.

"Well, yes, we are in the midst of playing The Gamble. We're trying to woo each other over the course of a total of two weeks. Today is the tenth day, in fact."

Alois seemed more surprised than Ciel originally anticipated.

"Woo each other? As in... romantic feelings? Like love?"

"Yes, I think that's the basis of wooing someone," Ciel said sarcastically.

"Claude always tells me that demons can't love!" Alois said, his eyes wide. Ciel recognized that voice. It was the voice of someone whose heart had been broken by the hand of deceit.

"They can, apparently. According to Sebastian, Claude himself has fallen in love before," Ciel said, trying to be careful upon hearing that voice. Alois's face made Ciel feel a bit of pity for him. Just a bit. Neither spoke for a few more minutes.

"Um, if it helps, Sebastian says that the boy Claude loved before broke his heart. So, maybe Claude's not really over it. I mean, demons  _do_  have much longer lifetimes than our own, so it would make sense if a heartbreak that happened many years ago was still a fresh memory for him..."

Ciel didn't know why he wanted to comfort Alois, but he knew that it would be better than sitting there in silence. Alois was quiet, looking at the floor. Just when Ciel was about to say something else to comfort him, Alois finally lifted his head, a sad smile on his face.

"Yeah, that makes sense. I shouldn't pressure him."

There was a pause as Alois considered something.

"He still lied, though."

Ciel awkwardly patted Alois on his shoulder, uncertain what to say.

* * *

 

"You're making a mistake, you know," Claude warned.

"Pardon?" Sebastian said, pausing as he placed the cake he'd helped Claude prepare onto a snack tray. He slowly lowered it onto its place, not sure what Claude meant.

"You know that I can sense that you're playing The Gamble with Ciel. You need to call it off."

"All I'm doing is getting a quicker meal," Sebastian said, lowering his voice so that no one would hear. Claude shook his head pityingly.

"That's what I said. That's what hundreds of  _other_ demons have said."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes.

"No demon has ever fallen for-"

"That's what they all say!" Claude quickly cut him off.

"The ones who fell in love during The Gamble never  _say_ that they played it. And if they do, they say that they won. No demon ever wants to admit that they fell in love," Claude said, his voice lowering to a softer tone.

"You admitted it," Sebastian pointed out.

"But I didn't tell you the entire story," Claude said.

"So tell me now."

Claude sighed deeply, looking into his reflection on one of the plates. He looked pained, like the memory still hurt him. It did.

"I fell in love with him during the course of The Gamble. And he had fallen for me. But what they don't tell you in those rules is that, if you fall in love and they fall for you, then..."

He cut himself off, took a deep breath, and waited a moment before continuing.

"It was six hours before the end of the game. I would be allowed to turn him in just six hours. But then... I took on my true form. I couldn't help it, I couldn't stop it. It was completely beyond my control. And when he saw my true form, he instantly fell out of love. So I had to let him go. The contract was void, he wasn't stuck with me anymore. He didn't even hesitate to run away and leave me behind."

Sebastian was silent. He seemed horrified and wounded. He tried to picture Ciel doing that to him, but he couldn't. Not because he was completely sure that he wouldn't do it, but because it just hurt too much.

Claude looked at Sebastian, tears in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away.

"Call off the game, Sebastian."

"There's nothing to worry about, though. I... I won't fall for him," Sebastian said, but he didn't sound as sure as he would have liked. Claude shook his head and started to push to cart down to the game room.

"I've seen love, before. I've felt it. You have already fallen and you don't even realize."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this fic is finished I'll put up a oneshot about what happens with Claude and Alois. :3

"I almost feel bad for leaving," Ciel said with a smirk. Sebastian raised an eyebrow as his master settled himself into the carriage.

"May I ask what you mean by that, young master?"

"I mean that I told Alois about Claude's past romance and I kind of want to see the inevitable chaos unfold. But, duty calls," Ciel replied. Sebastian was taken aback, but he snickered to himself. He knew Claude would be upset with him for even telling Ciel about that boy, but he could honestly say that he didn't regret it.

"To the Undertaker's then, my lord," Sebastian said. He got up in the driver's seat and Ciel stared blankly out the window as they started to move. One thought crossed his mind, wondering if Sebastian had ever fallen in love, or what Sebastian's 'type' was. He wished he could figure out a way to turn this game in his favor, but with only a few days left he highly doubted it.

He shook his head. He only wanted to win the game, he told himself. He didn't actually want to  _be with_ Sebastian.

Maybe if he kept thinking that it would end up being true, he thought cynically.

* * *

 

"Thank you for the information, it should be most helpful," Sebastian told the Undertaker as they prepared to leave the shop.

"Not so fast! I want to speak with the young lord here," the Undertaker said, grabbing on to Ciel's arm. Ciel looked up at his face, discreetly shaking the hand on his arm away. Ciel tried to guess what he would want from him, but couldn't make any sort of guess.

"What do you want, then? Make it quick," he snapped, somewhat irritated. The Undertaker grinned and pointed at Sebastian.

"I must ask your butler to wait outside. I don't want him listening on this."

Ciel blinked, and Sebastian just looked down at him and waited to see what his master would say.

"Just wait in the carriage, Sebastian. I'm sure this won't take long."

"Yes, my lord."

So the butler left and Ciel shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of the Undertaker.

"So, you're playing The Gamble eh?"

Ciel stared at him in shock.

"Does every supernatural creature know about my game with my demon butler?!" he hissed, not exactly happy that such a fact was, apparently, so public. The Undertaker smiled innocently.

"I just wanted to warn you about  _why_ he's playing it with you. This information will even be free of charge!"

Ciel looked at him, suddenly rather uncomfortable. He felt an odd sense of dread creeping up, and he felt like his heart was going to drop into his stomach any second now. It was like he was preparing to let himself be heartbroken.

"What do you mean? What's going on?"

"Demons who play The Gamble with their contractors only do it to get a quicker meal," the Undertaker said simply. Ciel's eyebrows knit together as he tried to figure out what the man meant by that.

"I don't understand what you mean. How can a game lead to a quicker meal?" he asked, somewhat sure that the Undertaker was messing with him in some way.

"He didn't tell you? Well, I suppose that makes sense. You wouldn't be playing if you'd known."

"If I'd known what?"

"If he wins, he'll get to take your soul early," the Undertaker said it simply, no hint of remorse anywhere. Ciel felt like the wind had been knocked from his lungs.

"You're joking."

"I don't joke," the Undertaker said innocently. Ciel turned and stormed from the shop, managing to get into the carriage before tears fell from his eyes.

"Young master? Are you alright?" Sebastian said from his place in the driver's seat.

"I'm fine, Sebastian. I just want to get home," Ciel replied, staring blankly at his hands. He wiped furiously at his eyes, angry at himself for the tears that he was shedding. And for what? For letting his guard down and letting himself love a demon who would eventually eat him.

Looks like he'd be eating his meal a lot sooner.

"You got your wish, you demon. I hope you're happy," Ciel whispered, staring blankly out the window at the scenery passing by. His chest felt numb, as if it hurt too much for him to even comprehend. He placed a hand over his heart, and sighed sadly.


	6. Chapter 6

"I'm going to bed early," Ciel said, not sparing a glance to his butler as he entered his manor.

"But my lord, you haven't eaten dinner yet," Sebastian pointed out. Ciel stopped walking, and Sebastian paused behind him. He saw the way Ciel clutched his walking stick tightly, and his demonic hearing allowed him to hear the pounding of Ciel's heart.  _Thump thump, thump thump_. It wasn't necessarily racing, but it was pounding rather hard. Was his young lord angry, perhaps? Before he could voice his question, Ciel spoke.

"Yes, we all know how important  _eating_ is," he said in a snappish tone. He continued on his way, still seeming intent on sleeping at this time. Sebastian sighed, his mind working as he tried to guess what the young earl meant by that.

"Young master, if you insist on resting, I will wake you up when it is time to eat," Sebastian suggested, discarding that verbal puzzle for now. However Ciel whirled around, pure anger in the blue eye that was visible.

"You are not to come into my room for anything! In fact, I don't want to see you at all for the rest of the night!"

Sebastian took a step back, his eyes wide as waves of shock went through him. And, what was that feeling... The one that had a spot on his chest hurting? Why did it hurt? He shook away those questions, and looked calmly at his master, who was waiting for him to leave.

"Is that an order, young master?" he asked quietly.

"Yes it's an order, you unbelievable moron!" Ciel shrieked in reply. So Sebastian had been given an order, which he must obey. And with that he left the boy's sight, and watched from around a corner as the boy headed back to his room. Sebastian heard him sniffling, like he was... Crying? Sebastian blinked. Ciel told him to leave and he had seemed angry... Why was he crying now?

Since this had clearly been a product from his discussion with the Undertaker, he decided to take this up with him. He checked in the kitchen first, to speak with Bard.

"Bardroy, I will be back within two hours to begin the young master's dinner. Under no circumstances are you to try and cook his meal unless I am late, and even then I must ask you not to use flamethrowers, bombs, dynamite or any other sort of tool that could possibly blow up the house. Do you understand?" he said, emphasizing his orders with a glare to ensure that Bard understood him.

"Y-yes Mister Sebastian!" Bard said quickly, terrified at the look in the butler's eyes. Sebastian smirked, pleased to have that taken care of.

He headed outside and climbed up into the driver's seat of the carriage again, and set off for the Undertaker's again.

* * *

 

"Oh, my. Back again?" the Undertaker said upon seeing the demon enter. Sebastian glared at him, and the Undertaker only giggled like a madman in reply.

"What did you talk about with my young master? What did you tell him?"

"Oh, only what I know you left out when you began this little game of yours," the Undertaker replied. Sebastian took a moment to understand what he meant, and felt that same spot from earlier twist and hurt again. He winced and put a hand over that spot - What  _was_ that?

"Heart troubles?" the Undertaker said with a grin, and Sebastian looked at him strangely. The Undertaker pointed at where he had his hand.

"Is that what that is?" Sebastian muttered, and the Undertaker threw his head back with laughter.

"You've  _never_ fallen in love? Oh my, a demon your age should have fallen at least  _once_ by now!" he said between giggles. Sebastian glared, suddenly remembering what Claude told him.

"You honestly think I'm in love?" he asked, his voice quiet and uncertain. His eyebrows pulled together as he tried to wrap his mind around the concept. He had always figured he would be one of the demons who never, ever fell for anyone - Human or otherwise.

"The signs are all over you! Honestly, with a brother who's gone through it I'd thought you'd have more sense than this," the Undertaker said, shaking his head in a pitying way. Sebastian glared pointedly at him, but it didn't have much heat. Was that really what this was? Had he honestly fallen for Ciel?

He guessed that it would certainly explain why his chest - His heart, he now guessed - Was hurting at the thought of Ciel being upset with him. More than that, it hurt when he realized that Ciel probably wasn't as perceptive as the Undertaker or Claude, and thought that...

He blinked when he realized that Ciel must have been falling in love with him these past ten days. Which meant Ciel thought that Sebastian would take his soul without a second thought. Which was absolutely beyond untrue, and the very idea that his young master was trusting him so little made his heart twist and hurt again.

"Why would you  _t_ _ell_ him that?" he asked, angry at the Undertaker for butting in where he didn't belong. He was sure his eyes were glowing with pure hellfire, but couldn't bring himself to care at that moment. The Undertaker giggled.

"Would you have figured out your feelings if I had not?" he questioned, and all at once Sebastian knew that he was right. He relaxed, still rather peeved at him, as much as he agreed. If the Undertaker hadn't told Ciel, causing him to be angry with Sebastian, then Sebastian wouldn't have had his revelation as he just did. Then he might have taken Ciel's soul in four days, without a thought, only to realize too late how he really felt.

The very idea of it made him sick.

"I'm leaving," he said quietly, almost dizzy right at that moment as his anger subsided. He turned around silently and exited. He swore he blacked out for a minute, because one second he was getting into the driver's seat and the next, he was approaching the front door to the Phantomhive manor.

He made it with only fifteen minutes to spare, so he was going to be making Ciel's dinner tonight. Or so he thought, but he was so lightheaded and uncertain as to what he's doing that he managed to get the other servants to think that he'd spontaneously gotten sick. So they sent him down to his room, ignoring his protests and arguments that he's just fine and didn't need rest. He didn't blame them, since he couldn't really offer any reason as to why he nearly ran into a wall four times without telling them that he's in love with Ciel. Or that he's a demon. He wasn't sure which one would shock them more. He made it worse, then, by snickering at the thought, and Finny panicked and thought that he was hallucinating.

They're sweet, he thought, but far too oblivious.

As Bard opened his door, Sebastian finally relented and allowed them to push him onto his bed. It might have been easier to work out his feelings while he didn't have to worry about anymore chores for the day. Though, now he'd just be worrying about how the three morons in front of him will be taking care of his chores for him. It was something that simply couldn't end well.

They fussed over him, asking if he wants food or water or if they need to bring him a pail to throw up in. He politely declined all of those offers, though if he did have capacity to throw up he would have certainly accepted the pail.

When they finally left, Sebastian wondered for a moment if Claude felt so uncertain and dizzy when he fell in love. It probably wouldn't be wise to sneak out and ask him, because he was sure that one of those morons would come and check on him soon. Perhaps tomorrow he'll make a 'miraculous recovery' and he can not only talk to Claude, but Ciel as well. He frowned, recalling the young master's orders from earlier.

' _I don't want to see you at all for the rest of the night!_ '

"In the morning, then. First one I'll go talk to is the young master," he murmured to himself, clenching the blanket in his fists. He took a few deep breaths, trying to stop that hurt in his heart, but it didn't work. He didn't know how to make it stop.

"Shut up, heart. He loves me too," he mumbled. Still, he recalled what Claude said about his romance. The boy had fallen out of love with him, and the game forced Claude to let the boy go. If that boy could fall out of love, then who's to say that Ciel hadn't already done the same in his anger with Sebastian?

The demon flinched at the pain again. He didn't like this, but he knew he deserved it in some way. Ciel wouldn't be so mad right now, wouldn't be so  _hurt_ right now if he hadn't started The Gamble in the first place.

But then, he would also never have realized his feelings in the first place.

"I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing," he said quietly. He sat there silently for the rest of the night, unsure what to make of his feelings, and the thing that had set them in motion.


	7. Chapter 7

As soon as dawn came, Sebastian quickly got out of bed, where he had laid all night. He hadn't slept at all, not that that would hinder him. He had spent the night running through what he would say to his master later this morning, and trying to guess what Ciel would reply to things he would say, and then formulating his own responses for that.

He prepared Ciel's breakfast as quickly as he possibly could, feeling so jumpy that he may have well jumped out of his skin. He added that to the list of things he'd need to ask Claude about later.

He worried as he brought the morning tea up to his young master's room that maybe he would be ordered away again. There wouldn't be anything he would be able to do, but he decided to worry about it only if things came to that. He straightened up, prepared himself for whatever Ciel might do or say, and entered the room.

"Young master, it's time to wake up. We need to talk," he said in a quiet voice as he closed the door. He walked over to the curtains and opened them, letting light into the room.

"Go away," Ciel said sleepily, and held his pillow over his head. It was a normal thing that he would do every morning, so Sebastian guessed that it didn't have to do with yesterday.

"Young master, I wish to speak with you about what you learned yesterday," he said softly, pouring the tea into a cup. In that instant, Ciel sat up straight, and stared at the demon with wide eyes. However his shocked expression quickly became one of anger, and he just glared at his butler.

"What? Are you going to mock me for falling in love with a demon? Go on, I deserve it," Ciel said, crossing his arms and clearly waiting for Sebastian to tease and laugh at him.

"Certainly not, my lord. If I were to mock you for your feelings, I dare say that you would have the right to do the same to me," Sebastian said with a pleasant smile. Ciel's face morphed as the confusion he felt from that statement showed on his face.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Surely the Undertaker didn't just tell you about what would happen if you fell for me, did he?" Sebastian said, though he was now realizing that that was probably what had happened.

"That's all he told me. Why, is there more?"

Sebastian sighed and dropped to one knee, one hand over his heart.

"The precise rules of The Gamble are as follows: 'If the human shall fall for the demon over the course of the two weeks during the game, then the demon will be free to take that human's soul whenever they please, even if under a contract. However, if the demon falls in love with the human over the course of those two weeks, then the human shall be set free and will no longer be subjected to an eternity in hell. And if the human and the demon both fall in love with each other during the two weeks, not only will the contract be null and void on both ends, but the demon will be able to change the human so that they may live together peacefully for eternity.'"

"Sebastian... Are you-"

"My lord, it seems I have fallen in love with you. I will confess that I did originally intend to get a quicker meal when I started the game, but I no longer wish to take your soul. The very thought of you dying, whether by my hands or another's, positively sickens me. If you do still love me at this point, then it will be possible for us to live together eternally in just three more days. Tell me, my lord; Do you still love me? Do you want to be with me forever?"

He heard Ciel's heart pounding like crazy in his little chest, and barely concealed a small smile.  _Thump thump, thump thump, thump thump._ He guessed that Ciel did still love him, but he waited to hear a verbal confirmation. He felt the young lord gently touching his cheek, guiding him to look up. He saw glistening tears in those eyes. He raised a hand and gently wiped them away before they could fall, thinking that Ciel's eyes were not made for crying, that they were too beautiful for such a sight.

"Do you truly love me, Sebastian? Is that the truth?"

"My lord, I do not lie. I love you with everything that I am," Sebastian said honestly, his voice soft.

"Then..."

_Thump thump, thump thump._

"Sebastian... I do love you. My heart and soul are yours to keep."

For a moment, Sebastian felt like he may have misheard. But then he felt a smile, a true smile, grow on his face. Ciel leaned closer, and planted a kiss right on the edge of his mouth. Sebastian shivered at the contact, and looked up with wide eyes as his master smiled back. It was such a beautiful, rare sight, and Sebastian couldn't help but love the young earl all the more when he saw it. He felt lightheaded again, and he stood up, feeling himself sway a bit as he passed Ciel his cup of tea.

"Let's get you changed, my lord," he said quietly. He nearly ran into a wall onto his way to the wardrobe, and Ciel watched him worriedly.

"Are you okay? You don't look like your normal self," Ciel said softly. Sebastian shook his head.

"I'm fine. I'm probably just not used to this... Emotion," he admitted. Ciel watched him carefully as he selected the outfit for the day. Despite his dizzy, strange state, Sebastian didn't seem to have any trouble picking out the clothes and dressing Ciel. Even so, Ciel made the demon hold his hand for some sort of support as he was led down for his breakfast.

"It's inappropriate," Sebastian mumbled, but Ciel hushed him. He held the man's hand until Sebastian insisted that he sit at the table to wait for his food.

Ciel watched in concern as Sebastian effectively smacked his head against a wall before he managed to get through the door. He didn't know what was wrong with his demon, but he sure as hell wanted to know.

The man's cooking is as good as ever, despite his state, Ciel thought with pride. Or at least it was better than the mess that Bardroy had cooked for him last night, and now he saw _why_ Bard was cooking. The others must have thought Sebastian to be sick and sent him to bed.

Ciel briefly considered the possibility that emotions like love were a virus to demons, but discarded the idea upon recalling Claude's past romance.

"Are you sure you're okay, Sebastian?" he asked, looking at the man with concern. Sebastian's eyes softened, and he gave Ciel a comforting smile.

"I am perfectly okay, young master. I'm just... Overwhelmed with emotion, I suppose."

Ciel sighed and let the matter go, but he was still so concerned about his demon. He followed him with his eyes as Sebastian dusted and cleaned the area. Sebastian still was stumbling about as though he were drunk, but he didn't hit his head again, yet. Ciel sighed again and finished his breakfast quickly. When the demon saw that his master was finished, he went over to collect the plate.

"Young master, I must ask your permission to go speak to Claude Faustus," he said. Ciel looked at him strangely, but nodded his head to allow it.

"Does your seeing him involve you asking questions about your current state?" he asked. Sebastian nodded in reply, and Ciel sighed. He did hope that Sebastian was okay, and reached over to gently touch the man's gloved hand.

"I hope you're really okay, and you're not just trying to stop me from worrying. Because it's not working," Ciel mumbled, his face turning red. Sebastian smiled and went back down on one knee as he grasped Ciel's hand. He gently pressed a kiss to the young earl's thumb. He then did the same with his pointer finger, then middle, and ring finger and pinky finger. Finally, he pressed a light kiss to Ciel's palm, and gave his master a tender smile as he opened his eyes. Ciel felt as though his face was on fire, as well as his heart. He hadn't expected the man to do such a thing, but there was no way he could say that he didn't enjoy it.

"My lord, I promise you that I am in perfect health," Sebastian said, and Ciel nodded. Sebastian released his hand, and Ciel held it against his chest, feeling his heart beat like crazy. He was certain the demon could hear it.

Sebastian then stood up and prepared to go clean the dishes. As he walked, he immediately smacked into a wall again.

"Goddammit Sebastian!" Ciel yelled and stood from his chair. He stormed over to the man and grabbed onto the demon's arm, right as Bard walked in.

"There you are, Mister Sebastian! You should be resting!" Bard said, trying to grab onto his arm, but Ciel slapped him away.

"I'm going to take him to a doctor. He seems fine enough to control the carriage himself, so don't worry," Ciel explained. Bard looked uncertain but walked away, and Ciel sighed in relief.

"Young master, I appreciate the concern but-"

"Claude had better know what's wrong with you or I will douse you in holy water for lying about your health," Ciel hissed. Sebastian just blinked as his master tugged him outside, but couldn't help a small smile.

"You  _are_ fine enough to control the carriage, right?"

"Of course, my lord, I should have no trouble. What kind of butler would I be if I couldn't do such a thing in this state," Sebastian replied, giving Ciel a pleasant grin. Ciel just rolled his eyes in response, but was happy that the demon was well enough to be so cocky.

"Would you like me to go with you?" Ciel asked, but was disappointed as Sebastian shook his head in reply.

"You have paperwork to do, remember? I promise that I will be fine, young master," Sebastian said. Ciel sighed, and after making sure that no one was around to see, pulled the demon down for a quick kiss. It was over far too fast for Sebastian, as he didn't even get the chance to kiss back. Ciel looked at him sternly, worry swirling in his visible eye, and Sebastian just smiled comfortingly.

"I  _promise_ young master," he said softly, and finally Ciel released him. A blush was on his face, but Sebastian didn't dare comment on it, so he just winked.

"Go back inside, young master."

Ciel huffed and, after giving one last look at Sebastian, he obeyed and went inside.

* * *

 

Claude couldn't help but glare at Sebastian when he saw him. He knew it wasn't really his brother's fault that Ciel had gone and told Alois about his past romance, but it still irked him.

"Why are you here?" he asked in a tone that he hoped clearly showed how livid he was right now.

"I need to ask you about when you were in love. I'm not exactly... Myself," Sebastian said. Claude looked over him for a moment, and sighed. He allowed him into the manor, figuring that there would be time to be angry later.

Claude noticed, as he was leading Sebastian to his room, that the other demon kept running into walls, and bumping into him. He sighed and grabbed on to Sebastian's shoulders, steering him in the proper direction.

Once in his room, he pushed Sebastian to sit on his bed, if only to keep the man from accidentally breaking something.

"I think I know what's wrong," he said before the other demon could even say another word.

"Tell me, then," Sebastian said. He didn't seem to enjoy being unable to properly walk.

"When I fell in love with James during The Gamble, I had noticed myself becoming lightheaded. Although I wasn't running into walls like you are, my walking wasn't all that stable. Perhaps it affects you more because maybe your feelings are stronger than mine were."

"But I can't just be so unsteady for the rest of my life," Sebastian pointed out.

"It should only be for the rest of the game. After the game ended, though I was still in love with him, I wasn't nearly as lightheaded," Claude said. Sebastian blinked when he heard someone from outside Claude's door. Claude shook his head and held a finger over his lips.

"It's Alois. He's been rather upset with me since Ciel told him about... You know," he said, keeping his voice low so that his master wouldn't hear.

"Sorry about that," Sebastian replied, also keeping quiet. Claude nodded to show that his apology was appreciated.

"Thank you for your help, in any case. I am glad that this won't be permanent. I wonder about that whole episode where you transformed, six hours before the end... Does that happen every time?" Sebastian asked, the thought just coming to him to ask.

"Only when the demon and human fall in love with each other, from what I hear. I don't know why that happens," Claude replied. Sebastian sighed, rubbing his neck.

"Does anyone even know who  _invented_ The Gamble? It's even older than me," he said with a small laugh.

"I'm sorry to say that I don't know, either. Trust me when I say that if I knew, I would _probably_ tell you."

Sebastian just rolled his eyes in reply to that. He pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. He hadn't been gone that long, but he still didn't want Ciel to worry, so he stood up, prepared to leave. As he did so, he nearly fell over, but Claude quickly caught him. Sebastian heard the other demon muttering under his breath as he was carried to the door. They made it halfway back to the front door until Alois crossed their path.

"Is... Is he okay?" Alois asked, looking in confusion at Sebastian. Said demon blinked a couple of times.

"I think I see two of you."

"So that's a no."

Claude snickered quietly to himself as he carried Sebastian outside to the carriage he had come in.

"Do you need me to get Hannah so you don't have to worry about crashing or riding yourself into a ditch?"

"I'm fine, Claude. I got here just fine, didn't I?" Sebastian said as he situated himself. Claude shrugged and decided not to help Sebastian if he didn't seem to want it.

"Goodbye, then."

"Goodbye to you," Sebastian replied, and then he was off.

* * *

 

The first thing Sebastian did when he got back to the manor was go upstairs to find Ciel in his study. He was pleased to find that the boy was working as he had been told. Then Ciel looked up, and Sebastian was even more pleased with the way the younger one raced to him.

"Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?" Ciel asked, pushing the demon to sit down behind his desk. Sebastian laughed a little at the worry, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"According to Claude it's a side-effect from falling in love during the game. I should be better at the end, young master," he explained. Ciel hummed, and kissed the man, this time on the lips again. It was just as quick as earlier, but this time Sebastian wasn't caught off guard and managed to return the sweet contact before Ciel pulled away.

"You should go rest. Can you make it to your room?"

"I don't know," Sebastian said honestly. Ciel pouted for a moment, then tugged on the man's arm.

"Then until the game ends you're resting in  _my_ room," he said, a stern look in his eyes. Sebastian looked at him slight shock.

"My lord-"

"Go on about propriety when you can actually  _stand_ Sebastian," Ciel snapped, the look on his face saying that he refused to argue about the matter. Sebastian sighed, a small smile on his face as he allowed his young master to drag him down to the large room that was just down the hall.

"Thank you, young master, for caring," the demon said quietly, unsure if Ciel could hear.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fast-forwards a bit, it starts on the night of the 13th day. :3 In other words the story's almost done! There should be an epilogue after this and then it will be.... OVER!! *dun dun duuuunnnnnnn*

"The others are worried about you. It's absolute hell to try and explain why you've been sleeping in my bed," Ciel said as he crawled into bed next to Sebastian. Sebastian laughed a little as he hugged the young earl close.

"Young master, I must remind you that I was not the one who suggested it," he teased.

"I know, but... Shut up," Ciel said with an angry glare, which Sebastian couldn't help but think looked more a pout. The demon chuckled and gently pressed a kiss to Ciel's brow, causing the young one to blush.

Ciel laid next to him. Sebastian smiled endearingly at the way he shifted closer. He allowed his fingers to entwine with the smaller ones, as the pair of mismatched eyes before him closed to rest. The moonlight was reaching through the windows and making a beautiful scene for him, one that he wanted to remember forever.

Tomorrow night, Sebastian thought. Tomorrow night, at exactly midnight, the game would finally come to an end. He recalled what Claude had told him, though. At six o clock, six hours before the end, he would transform into his true form.

He hadn't told Ciel yet. He wasn't sure what he'd say, or how he could even begin to explain it. Especially when he remembered that Claude had warned him that if Ciel fell out of love with him, he'd be forced to let the boy go. He swallowed around the lump that formed in his throat. Sebastian wasn't sure he could handle that.

"Sebas..." Ciel's voice startled him, and Sebastian looked down to see that he was still very much asleep. He allowed a gentle smile to cross his face as he wondered what Ciel was dreaming of. Whatever it was, it seemed pleasant, if Sebastian were to guess based on the sweet, angelic smile on his face.

Even in his dreams, he realized, Ciel was thinking of him. Ciel would never leave him, not for being what he already knew he was.

Still, he couldn't get rid of a small, tiny speck of doubt that was still in the corner of his mind.

* * *

"Sebastian? You've been rather jittery today," Ciel said, looking at his demon with concern. Sebastian stopped in the middle of reading the story, and gave Ciel a smile.

"Can you truly blame me, young ma-"

" _Ahem_ ," Ciel interrupted him and gave the older man a pointed look. Sebastian chuckled.

"Pardon me. Can you truly blame me,  _Ciel_ ," he said, and the young master in his lap grinned.

"That's better. And I suppose not."

The day had progressed faster than Sebastian had expected. He had laid in bed with Ciel, as he had the past few days, reading some more of his demonic stories. But he would admit to repeatedly looking out the window throughout the day, and checking his pocket watch every ten minutes.

Although Ciel didn't know the full reason for Sebastian being so nervous, the excited twinkle in his eye made him want to kiss the younger one silly. So he gently put a hand on Ciel's cheek, and did exactly that. His prideful little master responded quickly to the surprise kiss, one hand grabbing onto Sebastian's tie and the other reaching around the older man's neck.

Sebastian opened his eyes a little, and noticed from the corner of his eye that the sun was starting to set. He pulled away from the kiss and pulled out his pocket watch, realizing that he had only five minutes before he would transform. He shifted Ciel off of his lap and got up quickly, his head spinning from the sudden movement. Ciel reached out a hand in an attempt to try and steady him, his eyes wide.

"Sebastian? Is something wrong?"

"No, Ciel. I... There's something else I need to tell you about the game," Sebastian explained. Ciel recoiled, eyes wide in fear as he clearly expected something else like what he had learned from the Undertaker.

"Six hours before the end of the game... Just five minutes from now... I will be forced into my true demonic form. Apparently this happens if both the demon and human fall in love. Only if you stay in love with me after seeing me as I am will I be allowed to change you."

Ciel stared at him in silence for a bit. A whole minute went by, Sebastian noted with slight fear, before Ciel burst out with the most loud, joyous, amused laughter that he had ever heard. He watched, shocked, as Ciel nearly choked himself on laughter, tears of joy and amusement streaming down his face.

"S-S-Sebas-Sebastian! Y-y-you don't really th-think I'd leave you over what I already KNOW do you?!"

Ciel's laughter continued, and Sebastian couldn't help but laugh with him. Of course he was fully aware that he was being utterly silly. Still, he came down from his laughter high and gently touched Ciel's face, a nervous smile on his face.

"Even so, just humor me and let me stand on the other side of the room. Part of me worries that you don't really realize how truly horrific my true self is."

Ciel rolled his eyes with a grin as he touched Sebastian's gloved hand, he gently pulled it from his face and laced their fingers together.

"Fine. I still think it's ridiculous, but fine."

Ciel's laughter had taken up a lot of time, and Sebastian quickly crossed the room, his head swimming as he did so from the speed. He blinked slowly as his mind settled and he counted down the seconds.

Five.

Four.

"I love you," he said. Ciel smiled.

Three.

Two.

"I know. I love you too."

One.

Suddenly, he felt his mind become clearer, and the dizziness from earlier faded. There was a dark energy that emanated from him, one that caused Ciel to shiver. His claws grew, he felt dark wings extend from his back. He knew that as he blinked his eyes had gone from a gentle ruby red to a terrifying hellish color. As his body shifted and changed, he heard the sound of Ciel's heartbeat pounding, even from where he stood.

 _Thump thump, thump thump_.

"You're scared," he said, his voice low and demonic. He was disappointed, he had thought that Ciel could handle it. He really thought that they would be okay.

"N-no. I'm not... I'm not scared of you," Ciel said, speaking slowly. Sebastian shook his head.

"Now is not the time to be prideful, young master."

"I told you to call me Ciel. And I'm not  _being_ prideful. I'm telling the truth, okay? I'm not scared of you."

"I can hear your heart pounding from all the way over here! Ciel, though I do appreciate you trying to spare my feelings, it is really not necessary!" he yelled, his hellish demonic voice shaking the room. Ciel took a moment to reply.

"Your appearance, I confess, is _terrifying_. But I am not scared of  _you_. No matter what you look like, I know you will not harm me. I trust you, and I  _love_ you."

Sebastian stared at the young earl in shock.

"Ciel..."

He felt whatever words he was going to say get knocked from his lungs as he was forcibly changed back into his human disguise. There was a strong wind against his face as all of his sinful energy pushed its way back into his body.

Sebastian took a deep breath, his eyes closed as he attempted to regain his senses. When he opened his eyes, he nearly jumped when he saw Ciel right in front of him, looking concerned.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Ciel," he replied with a gentle smile. Ciel returned it once he was convinced that Sebastian wasn't lying.

"Not dizzy anymore?"

"Actually, no," Sebastian said. Ciel sighed and hugged Sebastian, catching the demonic butler off-guard.

"I love you, so much. Don't you ever doubt that, okay?" Ciel said, his voice a little muffled. Sebastian chuckled and gently placed his hand on the soft dark blue hair as a way of comfort.

"I promise, if you do the same for me."

"Deal."

Sebastian felt his young darling smile as he hugged his butler even closer, and the older man couldn't help but do the very same.


	9. Chapter 9

"Shall I cancel the engagement with Elizabeth? Or perhaps we should fake my death?" Ciel said in a bored tone one afternoon. Sebastian blinked in confusion. It had been a few weeks since he had changed Ciel at the end of their game, and they had yet to discuss anything regarding his fiancee or his social standing.

"Where has this come from, Ciel?" Sebastian asked as he poured tea into a cup and passed it to Ciel. Though they were both sure that the others in the household were aware of their relationship, neither really cared to be the one to bring it up with them. Likewise, the other servants seemed to carefully dance around the subject for fear of being fired. So for now they kept up the ruse of butler and master.

"I was just thinking how nice it would be to be able to not have to hide our feelings. There must be somewhere we could go where at least no one we knew could try and find us, right?"

"That's certainly a possibility," Sebastian agreed.

"And even if I did marry Elizabeth, people would surely notice that I'm not aging anymore. Then they'd have a whole new set of reasons to come trying to kill us," Ciel added, a distasteful frown on his face. Sebastian chuckled as he leaned over and brushed his lips against the little earl's, and the frown disappeared with a smile in its place.

"Perhaps, but the wedding is a ways off yet. We should discuss it later, don't you agree?"

"I suppose."

"In the meantime, I have some more... Enjoyable things to do," Sebastian said with a smirk. Ciel almost choked on his tea, and Sebastian kept himself from laughing at the sight of Ciel's flustered shock.

"Can you not wait until tonight before you start suggesting that sort of thing?" Ciel said, hiding his red face behind the book he was reading. The demon snickered quietly and pecked the younger one's cheek.

"My apologies, my little love."

Ciel scoffed but let a smile cross his face anyway, knowing he enjoyed the way the demon doted on him. A passage in his book caught his attention.

"Sebastian? Is this the boy Claude was infatuated with?"

"Hm?" Sebastian took a look at the illustration as Ciel read the passage out loud.

"' _Stephen James Collingworth was a charismatic young man who knew how to play on one's emotions. At a young age he didn't use that for his advantage, but one day he and his family had disappeared without a trace. Months later he returned, unharmed, except for the sudden presence of an eyepatch which no one ever saw him remove. He also had a new butler who was always at his side and always seemed to know what he needed. That butler was closer to Collingworth than any others that he interacted with, and the earl even allowed him to call him by his middle name, James, which he always claimed to loath. One day, however, the butler just disappeared, and Collingworth wouldn't tell anyone where he had gone. In fact, he even seemed as though he was sickened by the mere memory of him._ ' And there's a picture of them together... I know he's changed his appearance since then, but I just get the feeling that it's Claude there in that picture," Ciel said, his eyes narrowed at the picture.

"That is indeed them. The wording of the passage makes me wonder if this boy would have left Claude even without the help of the game, if it had benefited him at a later point," Sebastian said with a frown.

"Claude may be a downright creepy bastard, but I almost feel bad for him when I read this," Ciel said as he closed the book.

"Plus, he did help me in the realization of my feelings for you," Sebastian added. Ciel smirked and gently swatted the demon on the arm.

"I thought me getting angry at you over what the Undertaker said helped," he teased. Sebastian chuckled and ruffled the young earl's hair.

"Yes, yes, that too."

Ciel giggled as he swatted at the gloved hands in his hair, and Sebastian swooped him up into his arms. Ciel let out a surprised squeak when his lips met those of his beloved demon, and he didn't hesitate to return the kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END!!!
> 
> I'm gonna make a little fic about what happened with Claude and Alois during the course of this fic up next.
> 
> (Also I may write another story which shows what happened with Claude and Stephen in more detail, I haven't decided yet)
> 
> Anyway you lovely readers I hope you enjoyed this fic! Toodles!


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